Jamie Tam Joins the Rutgers School of Public Health and Rutgers Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies

Jamie Tam, Ph.D., M.P.H., has joined the Rutgers School of Public Health’s Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy as an associate professor. She has also joined the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies as core faculty.

Tam examines how smoking and mental health comorbidities shape long-term health outcomes and how policy interventions can be designed to optimize public health. Utilizing simulation modeling methods, she evaluates the impact of tobacco regulations on tobacco use disparities, with a particular focus on populations with behavioral health conditions.

She is also broadly interested in behavioral health comorbidities and the health and economic consequences of substance co-use and addiction.

"Dr. Tam is an established leader in tobacco policy and simulation modeling research, providing quantitative evidence of the burden of tobacco on health, including mental health,” said Cristine Delnevo, director of the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies. “Her knowledge, experience, and innovative approaches will continue to move the field forward to address critical knowledge gaps, and without question, she will make meaningful contributions to INTS, as well as at Rutgers and in public health more broadly."

Currently, Tam is investigating the potential effects of policies, such as reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes and implementing flavor restrictions, on tobacco-related health disparities across mental health status, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic background.

Through this research, Tam has developed simulation models at both the state and national levels to project the effects of various regulations on smoking behaviors and population health outcomes. These findings are shared through the Tobacco Control Policy Tool, an interactive, web-based platform that enables users to explore the projected impact of different tobacco control policies across the U.S.

In addition, Tam serves as a lead investigator with the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) Lung Working Group and the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations (CAsToR), both NCI-funded cooperative agreements.

“Dr. Tam has clearly demonstrated a strong passion for training the next generation of tobacco regulatory science researchers, both through her co-leadership of the Tobacco Economics and Modeling Policy Outcomes (TEMPO) Lab and in the classroom where she has consistently received very favorable reviews,” said Paul Duberstein, professor and chair of the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy. “I look forward to welcoming her into the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy”

Tam received her M.P.H. and Ph.D. in Health Policy from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Prior to joining Rutgers, she was an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Yale University.

“I'm thrilled to be joining Rutgers at a time when public health leadership and commitment to equity and social justice are important than ever,” said Tam. “The School of Public Health’s vision resonates deeply with me, and I look forward to working alongside students, faculty, and staff to fully realize it through science-driven policy and action.”